Can



W. J. IVHELZINER.

CAN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1919.

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WILLIAM J'. MIELZINER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAN COI VI- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CAN.

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Application filed July 10,

o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. MIEL- ZINER, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York in the county of New York and State of li'ew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cans, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cans and other sheet metal containers adapted to be opened by the removal of a tear-off or tear-away strip or part and has more particular reference to cans wherein the closure and can body are provided with abutting flanges tightly embraced by a closing strip holding the parts together and making a tight seam.

Prior to my present invention cans thus constructed have been provided with a lip or extension from the strip which is adapted to be bent out and grasped by the hand of the user or with a pair of pincers to pull the strip away to open the can. It is of course readily apparent that since these seams are tight considerable force must be exercised to start this removing action, with the result that the lip or lug provides insufiicient hand hold for the purpose.

The purpose of this invention is the provision for facilitating removing of this strip and this through the use of a fork or similar instrument always or nearly always available. The invention contemplates the provision of a can having a sealing strip so constructed and arranged that the end of it may readily be started by the use of a table fork and this without danger of bending the fork or damaging it in other respects. Another object of the invention is the provision of a more readily opened can of this general character without increasing materially or at all the difiiculties and cost of the manufacture of the can or the difficulties and cost of its use by the packer.

' Numerous other objects and advantages will be readily apparent as the invention is better understood from the following description which when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a partial perspective View of a can embodying my present invention, and,

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the method of starting the sealing strip.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention I have shown on the drawings a can or Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

1919. Serial No. 309,803.

body 11 having a closure 12 held in place by a sealing strip 13. It will be understood that the edges of the body and closure are tightly embraced by this strip forming the seam shown. The particular character of this scam is not important to an understanding of my present invention. It will be understood, however, that the strip 13 is bent under at 1 1 beneath the edges of the body and closure and over at 15 on to the top of these edges and down behind them at 16. The strip in the present instance is provided with a pair of oppositely extend-- lng lugs or lips 17 arranged to lie upon the upper and under parts of the seam. The lugs are provided by cutting away the material of the strip at 18. And they may be bent back to extend oppositely from the sides of the seam as indicated in Fig. 2. The seam is given preferably a dimension permitting it to enter easilybetween two adgacent prongs 19 of an ordinary fork 21 disposing the oppositely extending lugs or lips 1'? beyond or without said prongs. The fork may tnus be used to pry the end 22 of the strip from sealing position and thereafter grasped by the hand of the person opening the can to progressively pull or tear it'from place.

Although the invention has been described as embodied in a can closed with a sealing strip it can be used to advantage also in cans of other though like character, an example of such can being cans provided with a tear-off strip or part defined or determined by scoring the material of the body or cover.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing without further descrlptlon and it is believed that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without depart ng from the spirit or scope of the inventlon or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely I a preferred embodimentthereof.

I claim: I

1. A can and closure therefor comprising a sealing strip extending circumferentially around a part of the can and provided with top and bottom flanges which clamp toher the can body and closure in a separable seam, said flanges of said strip having upper and lower longitudinal extensions constituting lips spaced apart and formed with said flanges respectively, which lips are adapted to be engaged by a pry-ofi" instrument applied to the inner edges of the lips,'permitting the instrument to be fulcrumed against the outer edge of the seam for the disengagement from the seam of the end of said strip.

2. A can and closure therefor comprising a sealing strip extending circu'mferentially around a part of the can and provided with top and bottom flanges which clamp togetherthe can body and closure in a separable seam, said strip having upper and lower extensions constituting lips extending from the end portions of its said flanges Laraaea which lips are adapted to be engaged by a upper and lower flanges so as to be of substantially U-shape in ,QIoss section, the top and bottom flanges of said strip being formed with lips which are spaced apart, the upper lip extending from the upper of said flanges and the lower lip extending from the lower of said flanges, said lips.

being arranged one above and the other be- .low the seam of the can when said strip is applied in sealing position.

WILLIAM J. MIELZINER. 

